The present invention is used in the context of collecting and distributing data and control commands in the context of motion control machines or devices. The present application uses the term “routing” to refer to the process of both collecting data from data origins and distributing data to data destinations. The terms “data” and “data items” are used herein to refer to numeric, binary, or string data generated in an analog or digital format. Data is typically generated by machines, devices, or the like forming part of a larger working environment. The term “machine” as used herein refers to a physical asset used to perform a predetermined task. The term “device” is typically applied to a machine with a relatively small footprint.
The data origin or origins thus may be formed by any machine or device (mobile or not) that stores data and which is either directly controlled by humans through a user interface or automatically controlled via a computer based system. However, the present invention is of particular significance in the context of a working environment defined by a motion control system, and that application of the present invention will be described in detail below. The present invention may have broader application to other working environments, however, and the scope of the present invention should be determined by the claims appended hereto and not the following detailed description.
A motion control system typically comprises a plurality of motion control machines or devices each programmed to perform an individual task. The motion control system is configured to coordinate the individual tasks so that the motion control system itself performs a combined task. In the context of motion control systems, control commands are transmitted to motion control devices such as computer numeric control (CNC) systems, general motion control (GMC) automation systems, and hardware independent data engines for motion control systems. The term “command target” will be used to refer to any destination motion control device or machine or any location on device or machine that can carry out a command using command data as described herein. In some situations, these control commands come from a variety of sources, which will be referred to herein as command sources.
Each motion control machine or device comprises a controller that generates and/or stores data indicative of the state of the machine or device at a particular point in time. Typically, some or all of this data changes because the state of the machine changes as the machine performs its individual task.
The data generated and/or stored by the motion control machines and/or devices of a motion control system can be used to optimize the performance of one or more of the individual machines as well as the entire motion control system. The data destinations where the data is sent can thus take any one or more of a number of forms, including a database system, a plant floor process management system, software used to optimize overall production flow, other software systems, and/or another data routing system as described herein.
The collection and distribution of the data and control commands associated with individual motion control machines is, however, complicated by several factors. The sheer volume of data can overwhelm the ability of the data destination to store and/or process the data collected. In addition, the data origins and data destination may employ different, unique, or proprietary hardware and software systems that utilize different data acquisition commands, data formats, and data transmission protocols.
The need thus exists for data routing systems and methods that organize the distribution of control commands form a variety of types of command sources to a variety of types of command targets, facilitate the collection of data from diverse data origins, and facilitate the subsequent distribution of data to diverse data destinations.